Waste disposal sites provide some of the harshest environments in which machines operate because of the ingestion of material into the intersections between machine components that operate or rotate relative to other parts of the machine. On a waste disposal operation material such as plastic, wire, diapers, cable and other debris can be pulled into the intersection between rotating components of the machines moving and compacting material on the work site. Examples of the interface between rotating components are between the spindle housing and the final drive for a track-type tractor and between the axle and final drive for a waste compactor. When material does become trapped between these interfaces premature wear can occur to components and seals. This component wear can lead to the release of lubricant being retained by seals and may further hasten wear and failure of the final drive components.
To prevent this failure, guards have been installed to protect these rotating intersections. One example of such a guard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,661 issued to Freeman on May 24, 2011. The guard assembly includes a diametrically split cylindrical shell with a radial groove formed as a stepped labyrinth-like structure. The shell protects a portion of the final drive assembly from external debris, mud etc. The guard also requires disassembly of the final drive so that the individual pieces can be bolted in place either during assembly or retrofitting.
The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more of the problems as set forth above.